Paul Alan Fahey on The Woman Who Ran Away

Paul Alan Fahey on The Woman Who Ran Away ...

The time is the mid 1950's. Felicia, the main character in my story, The Woman Who Ran Away, senses she is not like other women, not like other mothers. She often feels alone, disconnected, and isolated from society. She longs for a normal family life for herself and her son, Roger, yet every time she tries to better their living situation, something unexpected rears its head, and the brass ring slips through her fingers.

Doesn't every woman want a husband, 2.4 kids, and a cat or dog that doesn't shed? That's a question Felicia often asks herself. When she meets Greg, she thinks, Okay, maybe I finally have a chance. And so she and Roger move in with the man. Remember the bad thing that always occurs? Well, it happens in The Woman Who Ran Away, and Felicia realizes she must use her wits, as well as her son's, to escape a dangerous and abusive situation. Will she succeed? You'll have to read the story to find out.

BUT ... As a prelude to this story, and as a special bonus to the reader, I'd like to offer an opportunity to get to know Felicia and Roger a little better. My prize-winning prequel to The Woman Who Ran Away is archived online at a great literary journal, Cezanne's Carrot. So in a way, you'll get two stories for the price of one and also you'll learn more about the characters in the bargain. It's a win-win situation. Read the prequel, Wheel of Fortune.

I've known many women in my life like Felicia, ones who have dealt with physically and verbally abusive partners. And I lived Roger's life for the most part -- a kind of hand-to-mouth vagabond childhood full of anxiety and uncertainty. Yet I wouldn't trade my nomadic experience for a normal childhood. Nope. Is Felicia my mother? Maybe. Parts of her are, I suppose. But I'm not telling.

I hope you'll like Felicia. She's far from the perfect mother, but there's one thing that saves her, brings her back to reality, and that's her sense of humor. Oh, and another: her overriding love for her son.

Read an excerpt or download a copy today!